heft 1 of 2

noun

ˈheft How to pronounce heft (audio)
Definition of heftnext
1
as in weight
the amount that something weighs some synthetic fabrics are nice and warm, but I prefer wool because it has more heft

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2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly as a former senator, he still had some heft in political circles

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3
as in bulk
archaic the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the heft of the wainwright's business had been the building of hay wagons

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heft

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to heave
to lift with effort hefted his growing son onto his shoulders

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2
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position heft your baggy gym shorts a little higher—you're showing us more than we care to see

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heft
Noun
Yes, the Power Keyboard is heavier, but that extra heft is partly used to counteract the top-heavy imbalance when attached to a phone. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 Tom Hulce’s silliness undercut the heft of Mozart’s genius in the film. — Doni Wilson, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
The judge also hefted an additional $250 fine to one person’s charge for taking rocks. — Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026 Early the next morning, in the dark, prosecutors say, he was spotted on camera hefting a large, heavy object into his car trunk. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heft
  1. weight
  2. influence
  3. bulk
  4. heave
  5. lift
  6. sway
  7. body
  8. hoist
Noun
  • Lockheed Martin lists its maximum takeoff weight at 164,000 pounds, with a standard maximum payload of 46,700 pounds.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Poetic economy means fewer words must carry more weight and convey more meaning.
    — Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of weight
Noun
  • Wall Street’s role in financing the AI boom and data centers, a contentious election issue, as well as its influence on housing and other affordability challenges, is also likely to draw scrutiny, said attorneys and analysts.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Mexican pop icon will receive the accolade in recognition of an exceptional career spanning over three decades and his enduring influence on Latin music.
    — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of influence
Noun
  • The Rockies are likely to eschew a traditional five-man staff, using openers and bulk-inning relievers.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That could align well with Freeling’s return-to-play process, as the rookie missed a bulk of Sunday’s game with a knee ailment and could be downright out for Week 6.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of bulk
Verb
  • Facing third-and-16 from the Indiana 36-yard line, Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea was forced out of the pocket and heaved a pass toward the end zone intended for Hunter.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Air pockets trapped between overlapping leaves moderate the soil temperature and slow heat transfer, buffering against the freeze-thaw cycles that heave soil, fracture plant roots and expose beneficial soil microbes to lethal cold.
    — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of heave
Verb
  • Low clouds that developed overnight gradually lifted and scattered, allowing more sunshine and temperatures to climb into the lower 90s.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Colorado Sports Betting Laws and Timeline When the federal ban on sports betting was lifted, Colorado was among the first to act.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of lift
Noun
  • Still, this vocal group may have more sway going forward if Republicans perform poorly in the midterms and AI anxiety is a factor.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Blurred boundaries Measuring global functional connectivity—how much influence each patch of cortex exerts over the rest—the team found that, when participants had their eyes closed, sensory regions lost sway while associative regions gained.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of sway
Noun
  • His son, Gal Meir, was killed in Gaza in December 2023, during an operation to recover the bodies of two Israeli hostages.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • She was treated at hospitals in Ramallah and Israel for lacerations across her body, a broken rib and four broken vertebrae.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of body
Verb
  • The group and left-wing student organisations had urged supporters to gather at the Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district on Friday evening to wave and hoist the national flag.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The group and left-wing student organizations had urged supporters to gather at the Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district on Friday evening to wave and hoist the national flag.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hoist

Browse Nearby Words

heels
heft
hefted
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Cite this Entry

“Heft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heft. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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